


Shiver Me Timbers

by magicsophicorn



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, Homoerotic Sword Fight, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28436613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicsophicorn/pseuds/magicsophicorn
Summary: Captain Joan is looking for a new Quartermaster, Zoey applies for the job.Or, the pirate AU no one asked for.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Joan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Shiver Me Timbers

“Right then, listen up you lot!”

The Captain’s voice echoed around the deck of the ship.

Her crew stood still, waiting expectantly. The only other sounds to be heard were the creaking of the wood, and the lapping of the waves against it.

“I need a new Quartermaster. So if you think you’re up to the task, all you have to do is challenge me. If you can beat me, you get the job. Simple enough?”

The Captain removed her hat, tossing it aside with a flourish and letting her long dark hair tumble in waves over her shoulders.

She placed one hand on the railing of the upper deck, launching herself over it and landing on the main deck, her deep red coat billowing majestically as she did so.

She drew her sword and spread her arms out, grinning widely and strutting around the deck.

“Well? Anyone want the job?”

The Captain was as dangerous as she was beautiful. Feared throughout the seven seas. Unbeaten in a fight. But ambition and testosterone never seemed to stop men from thinking they would be the one to manage it.

Zoey watched with interest as one of the deckhands, Leif, drew his sword and stepped forward.

He was a tall and lanky fellow, he didn’t look like he’d be much good in a fight, but Zoey knew full well that looks could be deceiving, and Leif was one of the best fighters on the ship.

He lunged at the Captain. She parried his blow easily and then swung for his head, but he leaned backwards and the blade sliced nothing but the air in front of his face.

They circled around each other, taking turns to strike out with their swords, but every attack was easily parried by the other.

The Captain was in her element, grinning widely and enjoying every second of the fight.

Leif’s attacks became harder, more aggressive, but it didn’t seem to faze the Captain. She parried a stabbing attack and pirouetted around his side, slashing her sword through the bicep of Leif’s sword arm.

He cried out in pain, his sword clattering to the deck as he dropped it.

“Not bad, boy. Not bad… But not quite good enough I’m afraid. Get yourself to Doc Simon to get that stitched up.”

Leif scowled, clutching his arm to try to stem the blood. His lover, Tobin, rushed up to him with a scrap of fabric torn from his shirt to press on the wound, and together they made their way below decks to seek out the doctor.

“Anyone else think they’ve got what it takes?” The Captain crowed, back to strutting around the deck like a peacock.

No one moved.

“Oh come on, there’s got to be _someone_ else with the balls to challenge me? No?”

Taking a deep breath, Zoey drew her sword and stepped forward towards the Captain.

She had been a part of this crew for a few years now, and despite what most of the men thought, Zoey knew she was a good fighter. What she lacked in physicality she made up for in intellect, tactics, and planning. She had spent years watching the Captain fight, had analysed her form, learned her style. Perhaps that would be enough to give her the edge she needed.

The Captain turned to face her, and her eyes lit up.

Zoey circled her slowly, waiting.

As she expected, the Captain lunged forward and Zoey easily dodged to the side.

Again the Captain slashed, and again Zoey dodged.

She knew she couldn’t match the Captain’s strength, so wouldn’t stand a chance if she engaged the way Leif had done. If she was to have any hope of winning, she had to wait for the perfect moment.

They danced around each other, the Captain growing increasingly more frustrated at the fact that Zoey wasn’t truly engaging with her, merely dodging each blow.

“You can’t win if you don’t fight, lass!” The Captain roared before lunging forward with her blade once more.

This time, instead of dodging to the side, Zoey dodged under the blade, rushing forward in a burst of speed and slamming into the Captain’s midriff with all her body weight.

It worked.

The Captain lost her balance and started to fall backwards towards the deck. Zoey grabbed the Captain’s wrists as they fell and forced her arms above her head.

They landed hard, with Zoey straddling the Captain’s hips, pinning her arms to the deck above her head.

Zoey heard the clang of the Captain’s sword as it left her hand and skittered along the deck.

That had worked even better than she had been hoping for.

She didn’t look away from the Captain’s eyes for a second though. Their faces were inches apart, and the fire in the Captain’s eyes was intoxicating.

“Have I beaten you?” Zoey asked, allowing herself to smirk slightly.

The Captain’s grin in response was practically feral.

“Not quite yet.”

Before Zoey could react, the Captain headbutted her in the face.

She fell back onto the deck, the pain in her nose so intense she could barely see. She felt something wet trickle down her chin.

She looked around her for her sword, but it was nowhere to be seen. She’d had to drop it in order to pull off the tackling manoeuvre.

She tried to stand, but a booted foot landed square in the middle of her chest, forcing her back down.

The Captain stood over her, and Zoey recognised her own sword in the Captain’s hand.

Damn.

It was over.

She had lost.

“Well, since none of you can beat me,” the Captain bellowed, addressing the whole crew, “I guess the job will just have to go to the one who came the closest.”

The boot was removed from her chest, and instead the Captain offered her her hand. Zoey grasped it and the Captain hauled her to her feet.

“Say hello to your new Quartermaster!”

Some of the crew cheered, most merely grumbled.

Zoey could hardly believe it. She’d done it? She’d got the job?

“Now get back to work!” The Captain yelled.

There was a burst of activity as the crew scuttled off back to their various posts and tasks.

“Well done,” the Captain said, her voice low now so that only Zoey could hear her. “Here’s your sword. You’ll need that. And this… is also for you.”

She reached into her pocket and fished out a small, slightly rusty, key, then placed it into Zoey’s palm.

“They key to the Quartermaster’s room. You start tomorrow.”

With that, the Captain turned and sauntered off, leaving Zoey alone in the middle of the deck clutching her sword and key, still in a state of utter disbelief.

\---------------------------------------

The Quartermaster’s room was nothing more than a box with a hammock in it really, but after months at sea sleeping in the galley with the rest of the crew, just having the privacy of a door felt like a luxury to Zoey.

She’d not been there more than a few minutes when there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she said, turning to face the door.

She had been expecting Max, her one true friend on the ship, to come and find her immediately.

However when the door opened, the smiling face that greeted her was not that of her best friend, but rather that of the Captain.

She was no longer wearing her red Captain’s coat, just a simple loose white shirt tucked in to her trousers. She was holding a small bowl of water and a cloth.

“May I come in?”

Zoey blinked in surprise. She had never heard the Captain ask for permission for anything in her life.

She nodded.

The Captain entered the tiny room and closed the door behind her.

“I thought you might need some help cleaning yourself up. Sit.”

That was more like the Captain.

Zoey did as she was told, perching on her hammock.

The Captain knelt on the floor in front her. She dipped the cloth in the water then tentatively brought it to Zoey’s face.

“I was hoping you would challenge me,” the Captain said quietly, as she gently wiped the blood from Zoey’s chin.

The surprises just kept on coming.

Before this moment Zoey would never have though the Captain capable of such gentleness, or even of knowing who Zoey was.

“You… you were?”

The Captain smiled. It was such a different smile to the one she had whilst fighting. That smile had been unadulterated savage joy, this one however was pure tenderness.

“You’re an excellent fighter Zoey, and an even better leader. There’s no one else I’d want to help me run the ship.”

Zoey hissed in pain as the Captain dabbed the cloth under her nose, even as her heart swelled at the compliments.

“I don’t think it’s broken, thank god,” the Captain said as she stood up. “It would be a shame to ruin such a pretty face.”

“Th…thank you, Captain,” Zoey stammered. She really didn’t know how handle this new softer side of her Captain she was seeing.

“Please, call me Joan.”

The Captain made her way to the door. She opened it, but then paused.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside you, Zoey.”

Zoey swallowed thickly, amazed at how quickly her entire world had been shifted upside down.

“You too, Joan.”


End file.
